Light heavyweight world champion Andre Ward said he's "leaving" boxing in a statement posted to his website Thursday.
"I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there. If I cannot give my family, my team, and the fans everything that I have, then I should no longer be fighting. Above all, I give God the Glory, for allowing me to do what I’ve done, for as long as I have."
Andre Ward, a two-time super middleweight world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist, is coming off back-to-back victories over Sergey Kovalev. Ward, 33, claimed three light heavyweight title belts with a controversial decision against Kovalev in November 2016, and knocked Kovalev out in the eighth round of their June rematch.
Unbeaten since he was a 12-year-old amateur, Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) is widely considered the sport's top active pound-for-pound fighter.